RELATED ECOLOGY PROGRAMS

Water Quality Improvement Projects
Deschutes River Basin
Area

Introduction

The two water quality improvement projects in this basin cover a 186
square mile area that extends from the headwaters of the Deschutes River
northward through Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet. It lies entirely within
Water Resource Inventory Area 13 (WRIA 13). Thurston County and Lewis
County, the cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater, and the town of Rainier
are all in the basin. Residents rely on groundwater from the Deschutes
watershed or the adjacent McAllister Springs for drinking water. Land cover
includes a mix of forested lands, agricultural uses, rural, residential, and
urban lands. Budd Inlet is the southern tip of Puget Sound, and it is
Olympia’s urban waterfront. Recreational boaters and commercial vessels
using the Port of Olympia frequent the area. It is also home to abundant
aquatic life.

Water quality issues

Portions of the Deschutes River, Percival Creek, other creeks in the
area, Capitol Lake, and the marine waters of Budd Inlet do not meet
water quality standards for
temperature, fecal coliform bacteria, dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphorus,
and fine sediment. These waterbodies have low dissolved oxygen levels,
high water temperatures, excess sediment, too much phosphorus, and high
bacteria levels. These problems are caused by lack of shade over creeks
and streams, improperly functioning on-site septic systems, livestock,
pets, wildlife, stormwater runoff pollution, discharges of nitrogen,
modifications of the river, and other issues, and can be harmful to fish
and other aquatic animals.

Waters in this basin are under pressure from growth, resulting in many
small, uncontrolled sources of pollution. Local city, county, and state
government agencies work hard to monitor and protect the quality of our
water. Sampling and analysis of the water revealed
poor water quality, therefore triggering the “TMDL” process.

What is being done

Partners in the basin are working to implement the water quality
improvement project for the Deschutes River, Percival Creek, and other
tributaries that Ecology completed in 2015 (https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1510012.html).
Ecology is currently working with our partners to develop a second water
quality improvement project to address low dissolved oxygen levels in Budd
Inlet.